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(No Model.) s-she'ets-sheet 1. E. L. BOWERS & J. E. TITUS. MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SCREW BLANKS.

No. 469,324. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

' IN N iiii (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet E. L. BOWERS 86 J. E. TITUS. MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SCREW BLANKS.

N0. 469,324. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

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E. L. BOWERS & J. EI TITUS. MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SCREW BLANKS.

No. 469,324. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. BOlVERS AND JONAH E. TITUS, OF ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO \VILLIAM L. GROUT, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SCREW-BLANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 469,324, dated February 23, 1892.

Application filed March 30, 1891- Serial No- 386,955. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD L. BoWERs and JONAH E. TITUS, citizens of the United States, both residing at Orange, county of Franklin, and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful improvements in Machines Adapted for Operating upon Screws, Blanks, and other Pieces, of which the following description, taken in connection with IO the drawings herewith accompanying, is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of machines adapted for operating upon screw and other blanks, provided with a reciprocating l5 cross-slide or carriage on which is mounted a magazine or other receptacle for holding the pieces or blanks to be operated upon, and from which the said pieces are adapted to be automatically removed by a gripping device and placed in a chuck to be operated upon by suitable tools with which the machine may be provided. I

Ourinvention consists of a mechanism forming a part of such a machine and adapted to 2 5 be operated in connection therewith forautomatically filling the magazine with screws or other pieces as the latter are removed therefrom tobe operated upon; and it consists in the combination, with a magazine 0 mounted on a reciprocating carriage, of a hopper or other similar receptacle supported above said magazine, means for imparting a vibratory or shaking motion to said receptacle, a guide or race way to form a connecting passage between said receptacle and said magazine, a slide adapted to be automatically operated to admit of and shut off communication between the receptacle and magazine and in other details and combinations, as will 6 hereinafter be more fully described, and set forth in the claims, the object of our invention being to provide means for automatically feeding the screws, blanks, or other pieces to the magazine.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents aside elevation of a machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional View through line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing an end view of the magazine and its filling 1nech 5o anism; Figs. 3, 4, and 5, a side, plan, and end View, respectively, of the receiving pan or receptacle; Figs. 6, 7, and S, a side, plan, and end view, respectively, of the plate secured I to the under side of the receiving-pan, constructed for connection with the supportingframe; Figs. 9 and 10, a side and plan View, respectively, in detail, of the attachment secured to the receiving pan or receptacle, with which the panoperating lever is connected; Figs. 11 and 12, a side and edge view, respectively, of the ratchet-wheel for operating the receiving-pan-operating lever; Fig. 13, a side elevation of an arm or part of the supporting-frame, detached from the latter, on which the receiving-pan is adapted to be mounted to operate, also showing the guide or race Way at one end thereof; Fig. 14, a section through line sea: of Fig. 13, looking to the right and showing the guide or race way therein; Fig. 15, a section through line as 00 of Fig. 13, looking to the left and showing its construction for connection with plate on the under side of the receiving-pan; Figs. 16 .and 17, the side elevation of the magazine; and Figs. 18 and 19, a side and plan view, in detail, 7 5 of the movable slide and its operating-spring located at the lower end of the guide or race way in that part of the frame on which the receiving-pan is mounted. a A

To explain in detail, A represents the main 8o supporting-frame; B, the main driving-shaft; O, a sliding carriage; D, a turret or tool-carrier mounted on said sliding carriage; E, a gripping device carried by said turret or toolcarrier; F, a chuck, and G a reciprocating cross-slide. Said cross-slide is adapted to be operated in the usual way by means of levers g g, the latter being operated by suitable cams g, located on a disk 9 carried by the driving-shaft B. 11 represents the magazine, which is attached to the said cross-slide G. This magazine consists of a vertically-arranged bar or other piece, provided With an opening extending from its top downward, of such dimensions that the screws (represented 5 at a) or other pieces to be held therein may rest one on top of the other. At the lower end of said opening the magazine has one of its walls cut through to form a lateral passage h to allow for the withdrawal therefrom of I00 one of the said screws or other pieces by means of the gripping device E, as will hereinafter be described.

The lowermost screw or other piece in the magazine H is prevented from sliding or otherwise being moved therefrom through the lateral passage h, except when removed by the gripping device E orother means adapted for the purpose by means of a pivoted lever h, secured to the magazine H with its free end elastically held in a normal position, projecting above the lower side of the lateral exit-passage h by means of a stop 7L2 and spring lbs.

The frame A is provided with an arm or extension I, projecting above the main bedframe, with one end adjacent to the path of the upper end of the magazine H, as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This arm or extension is shown in the present instance as detachably secured to the main frame, although it is obvious that the same may be formed integral therewith. Upon this extension I a pan or receptacle J is mounted and adapted to slide, being supported and guided thereon in the present instance by dovetail connection through the medium of a plate J, secured to its under side. We do not wish to confine'ourselves, however, to this particular form of connection between said parts, as it is obvious that the receptacle J might be seated and operate in a guideway in the top of the frame or the extension I in lieu of the connection described without departing from the spirit of our invention. This pan or receptacle J is provided with an opening or exit passage j at one entlifostantially corresponding in size and form to the screws for which the machine in the present instance is adapted for operating upon, in order that the screws may pass therefrom in the proper position to enter the magazine. The sides of the receptacle J adjacent to this end taper toward the exit j, in order that the screws or other pieces held therein may be fed toward and into the exit-guideway j, when the said receptacle receives a shaking motion, as will be described. This receptacle is also provided with an adjustable false bottom J, (see Fig. 3,) sup ported at an incline therein by means of adjusting-screws 9' with its highest end farthest from the guideway j, in order that the screws or other pieces may be caused to feed more readily toward the saidexit therein. The extension I at that end adjacent to the magazine II extends from a point adjacent to the exit in the end of the receptacle J in a substantially curved line down to its lower edge in a line even with the upper end of said magazine. This end of the frame or extension is provided With a guideway c' therein, as more clearlyshown in Figs. 13 and 14, corresponding in size and form with the guideways or openings in the receptacle J and magazine H, and forms a connecting-passage betweensaid receptacle and magazine.

The lower end of the guidewayz' is adj ustably closedby means of a movable stop or slide K to prevent the screws or other pieces from dropping therefrom, except when said stop or slide is removed from beneath said guideway by the magazine H, as will be described. This stop or slide K consists of a plate is, pivoted to the frame at 7c, with one end held in a normal position beneath the said guid eway i by means of a spring k engaging its opposite end. The spring k is a flat spring secured at one end to the frame, and at its opposite end has a hinged connection with the said plate It. It will appearobvious, however, that a coiled or other form of spring may be used in lieu of the said spring k to accomplish the required objectthat is, to hold the slide or plate k in an adjustable position beneath the guideway z.

The receptacle J is given its vibratory or shaking motion by means of a vibrating lever M, pivoted to the frame A, which at its upper end has connection with the receptacle J through the medium of an attachment J secured thereto, which is provided with two arms or projections j thereon, as more clearly shown in Fig. 9, between which the said lever extends. At a point below its pivotal connection with the frame A said lever is provided with a projection on thereon, which is adapted to be engaged by a ratchetwheel m, located on the main driving-shaft B. The said projection m is elastically held in a position to be engaged by the ratchetwheel m by means of a coiled spring m exerting a pressure against the lower end of the lever M. This spring m is partially supported in a cylindrical shell miwhich is hinged to the lower end of the lever M, and at its opposite end is supported and has its bearing on an arm or bracketm located on the frame A;

The operation and function of the several parts, as described, is substantially as follows: The screws or other pieces to be operated upon are placed in the pan or receptacle J, which is reciprocated and receives a shaking motion through the medium of the vibrating lever M, thereby causing the screws or other pieces to feed toward the exit j at the lower end of the same and slide into the guide or race way 2'. hen the magazine H is carried forward and after the gripping device E has removed a screw or other piece therefrom, the upper end of the said magazine, which is shown as notched slightly at one edge to conform to the movable slide K, engages the latter and moves the same forward from beneath the guideway 1' until it (the magazine) comes im- ITO III

not wish to be understood as confining ourselves to the particular form and arrangement of the several parts, as shown and described, as it is obvious that various modified changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of our invention. For instance, the forms of the several guideways may be changed to conform to the varied objects for which the machine might be adapted to operate upon, or the bottom of the receptacle J be constructed at an incline and the false bottom be dispensed with, or the vibrating lever M have alink, slot, and pin, or other form of connection with the receptacle J, or a fiat or other form of spring be employed to elastically hold the lever M in position for engagement with the engagingratchet in lieu of the method shown and described, or various other equivalent changes which might suggest themselves to any skilled mechanic, and without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus set forth our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A machine for operating upon screws and other devices, provided with a magazine, a movable receptacle suspended above the supporting-frame, provided with an opening or exit-passage having connection wit-h said magazine, and means for imparting a vibratory or shaking motion to said receptacle, all

vided with a magazine mounted thereon, of

a sliding receptacle mounted on the supporting-frame and having connection with the said magazine by a connecting-guide or race way, and means for imparting a vibratory or shaking motion to said receptacle, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for operating upon screws and other pieces, the combination, with a reciprocating cross-slide provided with a magazine mounted thereon, of areceptacle mounted on the supporting frame or part thereof and having connection with the said magazine through the medium of a connecting guide or race way located in said frame, and a vibrating lever engaging with and adapted to operate said receptacle, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a machine for operating upon screwblanks, screws, and other pieces, the combination, with a reciprocating cross-slide provided with a magazine mounted thereon, of a movable pan or receptacle mounted on the supporting-frame and provided with an exit-passage at one end thereof, connecting with a guide or race way in the said supportingframe, and a movable slide or stop for adjustably closing the lower end of said guide or race way, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a machine for operating upon screwblanks, screws, and other pieces, the combination, with a reciprocating cross-slide provided with a magazine mounted thereon, of a movable pan or receptacle mounted on the sup porting frame or part thereof and provided with an exit-passage and an incline bottom in the direction of said exit, a stationary guide or race way having connection with the exit in said pan or receptacle and atits lower end closed by a movable slide or stop adapted to be operated by the said magazine, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a machine for operating upon screws and other pieces, the combination, with areciprocating cross-slide provided with a magazine mounted thereon, a movable pan or receptacle mounted on the supporting frame or part thereof, and a guide or race way connecting said magazine and pan or receptacle, of a movable slide held in a normal position for closing one end of said guideway by means of a spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a machine for operating upon screwblanks, screws, or other pieces, the combination, with a magazine and a movable pan or receptacle mounted on the supporting frame or part thereof,'of a vibrating lever having connection with said pan or receptacle and operated by a ratchet, pawl, and spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a machine for operating upon screws or other pieces, the combination, witha magazine, of a movable pan or receptacle provided with an exit-passage and an adjustable bottom having an incline toward said exit-passage, and a guideway connecting said magazine and said pan or receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, with a magazine provided with an exit-opening, of a lever elastically supported in a position to partially close said exit-passage by means of a spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

EDWARD L. BOWERS. JONAH E. 'lITUS. Witnesses:

. WALTER L. RANNEY,

GEORGE F. SMITH. 

